IBM Completes i2 Acquisition to Expand Big Data Analytics Portfolio for Smarter Cities
ARMONK, N.Y., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has completed its acquisition of i2. Based in Cambridge, UK, with U.S. headquarters in McLean, VA and a major presence in Tucson, Ariz., i2 expands IBM's big data analytics software for smarter cities by helping both public and private entities in government, law enforcement, retail, insurance and other industries access and analyze information they need to combat crime, fraud and other security threats.
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Today, more than half the people in the world are city dwellers. By 2050, that number is expected to rise to 70 percent. In recent years, IBM has seen growing interest in analytics technology as a tool for protecting cities in terms of both public safety and corporate security.
i2 helps customers in 150 countries - including eight of the world's 10 largest companies -- tap into vast quantities of information and derive intelligence from multiple sources to anticipate threats, generate leads, securely share information and take steps needed to boost the security of citizens, customers and shareholders. More than 4,500 global customers rely on i2's offerings, including the U.S. Army, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the majority of the police forces in the U.K.
In combination, IBM and i2 technologies will enable clients to put seemingly unrelated pieces of information to work, drawing on both unstructured and structured data sources such as criminal databases, social media and biometrics. Using these technologies, corporate security experts, public safety personnel and other investigators are better equipped to find patterns and address security threats before a crime occurs.
"Helping governments and businesses improve public safety and corporate security is a significant part of IBM's business strategy," said Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions. "Through our acquisition of i2, we are strengthening our ability to help cities, countries, international organizations and private enterprises create safer environments for conducting business."
"With IBM, we can expand capabilities and help our customers achieve their missions and goals in using analytics and big data to drive more information sharing, further reduce crime and fraud and generate significant cost savings," said Robert Griffin, i2 CEO. "Our clients will benefit from the integration of i2's products and technologies into a global organization with the stature and scale of IBM."
The closing of IBM's acquisition of i2 comes less than five weeks after IBM's announcement on August 31 that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company. Soon after the closing, approximately 350 i2 employees will join IBM. Consistent with IBM's software strategy, IBM will continue to support i2's clients while allowing them to take advantage of the broader IBM portfolio.
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SOURCE IBM